


Anything to keep you alive and happy

by NobodyGivesAShit1969



Category: The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: ABDL, Baby Norman, Belly Rubs, Blankets, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Diapers, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Jeff Babysits Sometimes, Lasagna And Friday Are Like Poeple, Mommy Issues, Non-Sexual Age Play, Norman Needs Love, Pacifiers, Spanking, Temper Tantrums, baby bottles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2019-10-08 16:59:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17390183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobodyGivesAShit1969/pseuds/NobodyGivesAShit1969
Summary: It had been a few months since Andy left the show when Haley, an old friend of Norman's, found him drunk and half-asleep in a bar and decided to take him home. When he woke up, she told him that she would take care of him if he couldn't, and that's what she did. At first, she let him do a few things on his own but that changed when she noticed that he was too depressed to even take a bath or dress himself up willingly. That's when she knew she would have to step up and become Norman's mommy.





	1. Time to sleep

  It had been an exhausting day for Norman and Mommy because they had played tag in the backyard of their house during the afternoon and they had also started a new puzzle before dinner, so by 8pm Norman was laying on the couch with his eyes closed while Tangled was still playing on the TV. When Haley saw how tired her little boy was, she started whispering for him to get up and go to bed, since she couldn't carry him. 

  "Baby, it's time to go to bed" She said, caressing his cheek as he just breathed through his nose and did that little sound he always did when he slept. "Normie, c'mon... You can't sleep on the couch, otherwise your back will be sore tomorrow" She shook him gently by the shoulder and waited a little bit more. 

   "Mommy" He breathed out, lazily opening his eyes. 

   "Let's go, pumpkin. Mama will read you a story if we go now, how does that sound?" She held her hand out for him to take, which he did as soon as books were mentioned. He loved story time! He followed his mommy like the good boy he usually was and let her change his diaper without complaining, which was very rare. Once he was ready to be tucked in, she helped him down the changing table and let him lay down in the crib before covering him with his blankets. Then, she sat down on a chair right in front of the crib. "Since you've been so good, you can choose whatever story you want, even a long one" She said, pointing to the shelf where they kept Norman's books. 

  The baby smiled, not too tired to pull an almost evil face, and said: "I wan' the penguins one!" 

  Haley smiled and nodded, knowing that Norman was too tired to even stay awake through the first chapter of the book. She stood up to fetch it and then she started reading it to her sleepy baby. 

  "It was an extremely cold day when..." She read and Norman listened, each second closer to falling asleep. As soon as she finished the first two pages, she heard a little snore that made her close the book immediately. "Goodnight sweetheart" She kissed his forehead and turned the lights off before closing the door and going to sleep as well. 

   Since she had taken Norman home that night, when she found him drunk and half-asleep due to Andy's departure, Haley had thought of how much both of them needed love desperately and had come to find it in an unexpected way. She could see the sadness that used to live in Norman's eyes, which he shielded with those sunglasses that, if used five more minutes, would've gotten stuck to his skull forever. It was cute, tho, she thought, because the rest of Norman's face showed lack of fears and pain while in his eyes she could see how hard he tried to pick up the remnants of his broken heart, which kept breaking over and over in each painful event of his life. 

  Haley hadn't had and easy life either, being the eldest of two daughters who came from different mothers but the same dad. Her little sister's mom, a cold-hearted, careless woman, had never taken care of her, leaving Haley to spend every hour of those days she spent with her sister trying to mend what the other woman was doing wrong. But Haley never gave up and her sister turned out such a loving and smart person, even if she had to be the girl's mother since she was 10 years old. 

  It was curious how Norman had never actually resisted Haley's attempts to make him her baby, maybe because of his depression or maybe because he knew deep inside that he did need her help and affection. It had taken only two weeks to get everything settled and then the game started. Haley had done well since the first day because it was in her nature to be an amazing mother, and Norman had been quiet and bored until he let himself be a baby. As soon as he set his mind free to explore childhood for the second time, he found himself enjoying it and wishing he had known about this lifestyle earlier. The only thing he couldn't relax enough to like were diapers, but Haley had said it was normal and that he shouldn't feel embarrassed to have someone change him. Anyway, he refused to tell her when he needed to be changed because he found it too embarrassing to tell a younger woman that he had used his diaper. 

 

   Silence in the house had lasted only three hours before Norman woke up with a strange feeling and started calling his mommy. It took Haley only ten seconds to wake up and walk towards the baby's room. When she got there, she found a worried boy looking everywhere in the room as if he was expecting an alien to jump up anytime. 

 "Hey sweetie, what are you doing?" She says, watching as Norman continued looking for something. 

  "Mommy, baba's gone" He said sadly, pouting as he looked up at her, kind of fearing the woman would get mad at him for waking her up and for losing his pacifier. 

  Haley pouted, too. "Can I help you look for it?" 

  Norman nodded, standing up in his crib and asking to be let out of it. Haley quickly lowered the wooden bars and took the boy's hand to help him down. 

  "Do you remember putting it somewhere in this room?" She asked, kneeling on the floor right in front of the crib to see if it was under the furniture but it wasn't there. 

  Norman shook his head, realizing that he might have lost it. His eyes filled with tears. "Mama, don' get mad" 

  Haley stood up and hugged her baby, patting his back and letting him cry until he was ready to calm down. "It's okay, pumpkin" She whispered. "I'm not gonna get mad because you lost your babba, we can buy another one" She kissed the boy's forehead and rubbed his back. 

  "I know, but--" He sobbed, clinging to her T-shirt and crying with his face buried into her shoulder. "I wike that one, ma" He used the back of his hand to wipe his runny nose as he continued crying. 

  "No hun, let mommy get you a tissue. Don't use your hands or your clothes" Haley pulled away from Norman, went to her room, grabbed a few tissues, went to the baby's room and wiped his nose carefully. "Now let me see if we have another babba for you in one of these drawers, okay?" She dug into the drawers of the dresser and retrieved a package of cute, colorful pacifiers. "I guess you were lucky, buddy" She said, showing him that he still had three 'babas'. "Pick one" 

  He smiled and pointed to the blue one. "Dat one". Haley quickly tore the cardboard package, grabbed the pacifier and slipped it into the baby's mouth. 

  "All done. It wasn't so bad, was it?" Haley combed through Norman's hair with her fingers, trying to get it somewhat human-like. 

  The baby shook his head, a little bit embarrassed. "No" He blushed and looked down at his feet. 

  "Okay, now let's go back to sleep. I'm pretty tired" Mommy motioned for Norman to climb back up into the crib, but the baby wouldn't move. "Sweetie, are you upset?" 

  Haley started to worry when Norman just shook his head and stared down again, not saying anything at all. It was a common thing, Norman got upset a lot of times because feelings were something he couldn't handle most of the time. She had noticed since she met him; it was something that even the way he spoke could make anyone notice. 

  "Hey, remember what we agreed, that thing about expressing ourselves with words instead of getting upset and expecting others to know how we're feeling by reading our minds?" Haley asked and Norman nodded, even more upset now that he understood that mommy was going to get angry if he didn't speak. 

   "Not 'pset" He murmured, eyes big and watery as he looked at her pleadingly. 

  Haley nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress of the crib, taking Norman's hand and pulling him into her lap. At first, the boy got scared because he thought she would spank him but then he realized that she just wanted to talk. 

   "Normie, I know you're upset. I'm not angry, hun, I just wanna know what's wrong so I can help you. I don't want you to be sad, that's all. You know mommy can fix almost anything, right?" She tweaked the boy's nose, making him smile slightly. He nodded, calmer now that he knew that she wasn't angry. "Please tell me what's bothering you"

  Norman shrugged. "You'll say no" He looked down at his hands and started fidgeting with his fingers. 

  Oh, now Haley knew what Norman wanted. Well, it could be two things but she was sure which one her baby needed in that moment. And it's not like she would refuse if he asked her nicely. 

  "Aww, you wanna sleep in the big bed with mommy?" She smiled when he nodded eagerly and stood up, ready to go. He knew that when she smiled it meant she'd say yes. "Wait, momma wants a kiss first" 

  "Oh" He said, as if he had forgotten an obvious thing. He placed a nice kiss on his mommy's cheek and hugged her for a moment, pressing his face to hers. She was beaming. "'Kay, can we go now?" He said, eagerly. 

  "Sure" She stood up and patted the boy's padded butt, remembering to check his diaper. She did a quick check, which caused the boy to squirm, and then she said: "You're completely dry, hun. Don't you have to pee?" She checked once more just to make sure he was completely dry. 

  "No, I'm 'kay" He nodded. 

  "Okay, then we can go back to sleep now" She said, taking his hand and leading him to her bedroom. 

 

  

 

 

 


	2. Throw that stupid phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haley has a big surprise for her baby: Andy wants to talk to him. Will Norman want to talk to his friend after almost two months of silence between them?

  Norman woke up early that day, happy to open his eyes and see he was still in the big bed with his mommy, her arms hugging his narrow waist. He smiled and snuggled deeper into the sweet and cozy touch, noticing how everything felt nicer that before he was a baby. He was thankful for having Haley as his caregiver, unable to imagine anyone who could've done a better job. He was still thinking about that when he felt his stomach grumble, sign that peace should be interrupted in order to get some food into his hungry belly. 

  "Mommy" He whispered, hoping he wouldn't have to raise his voice. He didn't want to make her angry by startling her awake. Unfortunately for him, he had to call her a few more times and maybe shake her by the shoulder before she opened her eyes. 

  Haley smiled at the sight she got as soon as her eyes fluttered open: Norman, with his eyes wide open as if he was opening a birthday present, was staring at her, sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for her to wake up. "Hi, buddy" She ruffled his hair, smiling widely at his happy face. 

   "Hungry, ma" He pointed to his belly, bouncing on the bed with his butt. 

   She laughed, happy to see that each day it became easier for Norman to express his needs to her. "Okay, let's go change your diaper and then we can go eat something" She got up and waited for Norman to get up as well before starting to walk. 

  "'Kay" He said, complying. He was always embarrassed when his mommy had to change him, but he couldn't stay in a wet or messy diaper for too long and couldn't stop wearing diapers either because babies wore diapers and he was a baby now. 

  As soon as they were in Norman's nursery, Haley lifted him up and laid him down onto the changing table. She pulled his pyjama pants down to his knees, undid the tapes of the diaper and bent his legs, starting to clean him up. Norman's cheeks turned red when he felt the cold wipe against his skin, but he stayed still and didn't even whine because he knew his mommy was being so careful, as she always was, and he had to let her do her job. 

  "What do you think we should do today, honey?" She asked as she sprinkled some baby powder on Norman's boy parts. The boy shrugged, still blushing. "Well, maybe we could go to the park, what do you think?" She said, causing Norman to look up at her and smiled widely as he nodded with excitement. He had asked her to go for days and she had said that maybe it was too soon to let people see them like that. She didn't think they were ready, but Norman had behaved so well she couldn't deny he deserved it. 

  After a few seconds of silence, Norman tugged on Haley's T-shirt. When she looked at him, he pointed to his face and said: "Good?" 

  Haley was beaming. "Of course you've been good, you've been such a good boy! Thank you for always listening to mama, sweetheart" She kissed his nose once she had taped his diaper and put his jammies back on. Norman giggled. 

  "Eat now, mommy?" He asked, pointing to his belly, adorably impatient. 

  "Sure, baby" Haley smiled and helped Norman down the changing table, wishing she was strong enough to pick him up and carry him. "What do you want to eat?" 

  Norman shrugged, already knowing what he wanted to eat but a little embarrassed to ask. Haley had never refused to make whatever he wanted to eat, but he knew that someday she would get sick of having to be his personal chef. Maybe he was too much trouble for her or for anyone. 

  "Mmm, maybe we could have some waffles, what do you think?" She asked him as they were going downstairs. He turned his head to look at her and smiled, how had she guessed what he wanted to eat? 

  "Waffles!" Norman smiled and hugged his mommy as soon as they were downstairs. 

   When they got to the kitchen, Haley sat Norman down on his highchair and then started making waffles. The baby bounced happily on the seat of his chair while his mommy prepared everything, eager to put those amazing yellow squares in his hungry tummy. His stomach was about to protest for the twentieth time when Haley set down Norman's green, plastic plate on the table and started cutting the waffle into tiny pieces for the boy to eat. Then, she put some caramel on them and put the plate on Norman's highchair tray. Before he could start eating, his mommy placed a sippy cup full of milk and said: 

  "I want you to drink most of it, okay? Otherwise you'll be hungry in an hour or so and you'll want to eat candy" Haley said, smiling when Norman pouted. He knew that what she was saying was true, but that didn't mean he had to admit it out loud. Anyway, he nodded because his ma was raising an eyebrow, waiting for him to answer. Happy that Norman was okay with her rules, she ruffled his hair with a smile on her face. "Good boy, Normie" 

  Norman blushed. He secretly liked that nickname, not that he was going to tell her mommy to keep calling him that, though. 'Normie' sounded kind of girly, he sometimes thought, but it also sounded cute, as if there was a tiny version of himself that Harley liked to call 'Normie' instead of just 'Mini Norman'. 

  As minutes passed by, the tiny pieces of waffles disappeared until the plate was empty and the baby's mouth was surrounded by caramel and also until the warm milk in the sippy cup got cold because he hadn't taken a single sip. Haley saw that, of course, and that's why she started to think of different strategies to get the boy to drink the milk. She knew that maybe he didn't like it because it was actually formula and not regular milk, but since it had so many nutrients and everything, she thought that it might help her ease him into a healthier diet. 

   "What's wrong with the milk, sweetheart? The mommy asked, retrieving the plates from the table and placing them in the sink. The baby just shrugged, not wanting to say what he really thought of that milk. "C'mon, just tell me what's wrong, please" 

  Norman rolled his eyes and pouted, glaring at the yellow sippy cup. "It's yucky" He wrinkled his nose. 

  Haley grimaced, silently understanding what the boy was feeling. She was not gonna tell him that formula wasn't actually yummy because that would make the boy avoid drinking it but she thought he was right. She had tried it once, out of curiosity, before she fed a two-year-old boy she used to babysit when she was younger, and she regretted it as soon as she tried it. 

  "Well, then I think we should try something different" She said, picking up the sippy cup and pouring the content into a baby bottle. She had already used bottles with Norman once, so she kind of knew how the baby was going to react. "Go sit on the couch and wait for me, please. You can choose a movie or a show on TV." She told the boy, who immediately complied. He was sure he was going to get cuddles from mommy! Cuddles made him so, so happy. 

  Before Haley entered the living room, Norman was already curled up on the couch, watching Toy Story while sucking his thumb. She smiled when she saw him, immediatly sitting down next to him and pulling him into her lap. The boy quickly rested his head on his mommy's shoulder, which she used to get him into a cradling position before she slipped the nipple of the bottle into Norman's mouth. 

 Haley smiled at her sweet baby as he drank eagerly. "My sweet boy" She said, patting his diapered bottom. Norman let out a sigh out of relaxation and smiled. "You like that, pumpkin?" She patted him a little bit more when he nodded, his eyes closing slowly. 

  "'S nice" He smiled, letting go of the bottle without completely finishing it. He was very sleepy and his body was starting to feel heavy. 

  "Aww" Haley laid the baby down on the couch and let him sleep. 

  She was sure it was going to be a great day, which made her happy because being Norman's mommy was not an easy task and each day was challenging. The boy behaved most of the days, without sassing or throwing tantrums, but sometimes it was difficult for him to depend on Haley and also to follow her lead all the time. Anyway, today seemed like it was going to be a good day and she was willing to enjoy every minute of it. 

  She was cleaning up the kitchen when Norman's mobile phone rang and she changed her mind. It wasn't right for her to answer it, but Norman had made it clear that he didn't want to know if any of his friends called, mostly Andrew, when he had given up his phone. So Haley answered, and as soon as she did she realized how much she would regret it. 

  It was Andrew, he wanted to talk to Norman but since Haley said he wasn't available he didn't say anything else. Haley didn't know if she should tell her baby or not given the boy's anguish over the other man and his departure. Who knew how Norman would react if she told him that his ex best friend had called him? She didn't want to risk all the progress they had made, but she didn't want to lose Norman's trust by hiding Andrew's reappearance in his life. 

  Haley had an hour and a half to consider her options and their consequences before the boy woke up. She hadn't decided it yet but she knew what she wanted to do, which might not be the best choice but would definitely be the sincerest one: she wanted to tell Norman. 

  When Norman woke up from his nap, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't being cradled by his mommy anymore. He whined, missing the peace that being held between her arms brought him. 

  "Ma?" He called her, sitting up on the couch. That's when he felt something strange that caused him to wiggle a little bit, soon realizing what it was: he was wet. It wasn't the first time he wet himself while sleeping, of course not, but it was still something he struggled to get used to. 

   Haley walked into the living room a few seconds after her little had called her, and she got a strange feeling as soon as she saw him. She could see in his eyes that he needed her cuddles and her presence, which wasn't a good sign if she needed him to be a big boy to be able to tell him about Andy's phone call. 

  "Hey sweetheart, how was that nap?" Haley asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch, right next to her baby. 

  "Good" The not shrugged, sitting up to rest his head on his mommy's shoulder. She smiled and carded her fingers through his hair. He sighed contently and rubbed his cheek against her shoulder, leaning into the caring touch. 

  "Oh baby, you're so cuddly today" She smiled, pulling the boy into her lap. "You won't guess what I made for lunch while you were sleeping, pumpkin" 

  Norman thought about it for a little bit before saying: "mashed potatoes...?" 

  Haley nodded and smiled wider. "Yeah, what else?" 

  Norman smiled and jumped a little bit when he thought about it: "An' chicken?" He said, smiling widely and hoping he had guessed. 

  His mommy nodded, tickling her baby's belly. Norman squirmed. "I didn't think you'd guess I cooked your favorite" 

   Haley made Norman stand up and checked his diaper. She wanted to make sure the baby was dry before she sat him down on his high chair. When she noticed he was wet, she led him upstairs and into his nursery, where she changed him into a clean diaper, and then she led him to the dining room. She helped the boy sit down on his chair and then she went to the kitchen to retrieve the plates with food. The baby made grabby hands as soon as he saw Haley was cutting his chicken breast into tiny pieces. 

  "Just a few more seconds, baby" Haley said, almost done with her task. "Here, try not to make a mess, please" She placed his plate on the tray of his high hair. "And don't eat with your fingers, okay?" 

  Norman pouted. "But I like eatin' with my fingers" 

  The woman shook her head, disapproving. "You can eat with the fork or I can feed you, your choice" She felt bad for not letting Norman get his way, but she wanted the boy's hands to stay clean, otherwise he would get his hair all greasy when he touched it to get it out of his face. 

  Norman rolled his eyes. "Real babies eat with their hands" He shrugged. 

  Haley narrowed her eyes, aware of Norman's attempt to manipulate her. "Real babies can't eat on their own and their mommies feed them" 

  Norman buffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not fair" 

   "It wouldn't be fair if I had to wash the mashed potatoes out of your hair, honey. Now eat, it's getting cold" She combed her fingers through his hair and then sat at the table on the chair next to Norman's. 

  Silence filled the room as soon as the baby started eating, which made Haley's head spin around Norman's problem with Andrew. She had to tell him but it would ruin the moment. But she had to tell him, even if he would never find out on his own because he never checked his phone. She had to be a good mommy if she wanted him to always trust her. 

  "Uh, honey" She called him and he looked up from his plate to look at her. "Someone called you today, while you were taking your nap" 

  Norman frowned, no one called him. Everyone he knew was aware of his current situation because Haley had told them, so no one would dare to interrupt his 'treatment'. 

   "Who was it?" He asked, very intrigued. 

  Haley looked down and took a deep breath before speaking: "It was Andrew, he wanted to talk to you" 

  Norman's eyes went wide and his face reddened. He tried to hide it as soon as he felt his cheeks burn, but Haley had noticed and there was no point in hiding how he felt. She always understood what he felt. 

  "I don't know if you want to talk to him but I couldn't keep it from you" She said, not sure if it had been a good idea to talk to Norman about his old friend. 

  "Why he wants to talk to me?" The baby asked, suddenly feeling he wasn't hungry anymore. His stomach felt full of butterflies, but not the nice ones that make your insides tickle but the ones that seem to want to eat you one painful bite at a time. 

  "I don't know, he didn't tell me. I think it's serious but I don't know what it is" She said sadly. 

  Norman nodded, clearly upset. He wanted to run away and cry. Why did Andrew want to talk to him, now that he was happy and didn't need him anymore? Why did it always look like Andrew wanted to ruin everything? Why did Andrew have to reappear in his life, if he sure as hell would leave again once he opened a wound in Norman that would take ages to heal? 

 

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it <3


	3. Just let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norman decides to talk to his old friend and everything goes fine until the other man says something unexpected.  
> Warning: angst.  
> Fortunately, Haley will be there to comfort her baby.

   It was almost time for dinner when Norman made the decision to call Andrew and know what the man had wanted to tell him before his own thoughts consumed him. To be honest, he didn't consider himself a very patient and calm person, least of all when his love life was at risk, but there was one thing that definitely held him back this time: fear. When he was younger he would think of himself as a bold man with convictions and very few regrets, but now he doubted he would take one single step without turning his head to look at his Mommy for approval. And that sometimes made him think that he was weak and that maybe he had lost the last bit of manhood he had left. But now he could be brave for once and for all. 

  Norman dialed Andrew's phone number and held the device to his ear, not missing the tension that had always seeped into his body every time he talked to the man he was in love with. He had to wait what seemed like ten seconds before Andrew picked up, and when the man said 'hello',  he didn't know what to say. His mouth dried all of a sudden, his heartbeat raced and every breath he took was shallow. 

  "Hello? Norman, I know it's you" Andrew spoke. 

  Fighting his own frozen body, Norman let out a strangled "Hi". He could hear Andrew's smile, which helped him calm down a little bit. 

  "How are you? It's been so long..." The other man seemed sorry, as if he was worried all that time they hadn't spoken had divided them permanently. To Norman, what was dividing them permanently was Andrew's pride, in fact. 

  "I know" Norman stared at his feet, a little bit ashamed as well. 

  "I'm sorry, I just thought that maybe you needed time to get used to this" 

  Norman closed his eyes as he said something that he thought would get him in trouble: "I'm never gonna get used to this" He felt his cheeks burn. He heard Andrew's sigh and that's when he knew that wasn't what the other man expected to hear. "'M sorry" He admitted to hinself that maybe his words hadn't been wise, and that was what made him think that maybe it would be better if he just shut up. 

  Norman heard when Andrew cleared his throat before speaking: "You don't need to be sorry, I--" He stopped and for a moment Norman had hopes he would tell him that he loved him and that he'd been wrong when he left. But Andrew spoke again: "I know you're going though stuff right now, I-- I heard... Well, Steven, Lauren, Jeff-- they said that now you're trying a new... lifestyle, I guess that's what it's called, and I wanted to know if It was true" 

  It had never occurred to Norman that maybe Andrew's concern was more about gossip than it was about him, but the thought of that being true felt like a kick to his gut. His friend had never been that kind of man and the sudden change had taken Norman by surprise... And it had also disappointed him. 

  "I-it is true" He spoke almost fearfully, afraid of Andrew's reaction. What if the other man never spoke to him again because of his new lifestyle? What if the other man made fun of him? Would he be able to put up with Andrew's criticism? 

  Andrew remained silent for a few minutes. Norman could hear him muttering possible things to say as a reply, which made him think that maybe the other man still cared enough to make sure his words wouldn't hurt him. 

  "Look Norman, I-- I know this is my fault--" Andrew started but Norman cut him off. 

  "It's not your fault, I..." It was true, it wasn't Andrew's fault. The man had had to leave before things between them became too much and led them to make what would obviously be a mistake. It had been his fault, Norman thought, because he was the one who started with those weird feelings that ended up destroying their friendship. "I know why you left. You were right, what we did was wrong and leaving was the best choice" 

  Norman could hear Andrew's sigh before the man spoke. "Norman, I didn't leave because we kissed. I left because I needed to spend more time with my family" The tone in the man's voice was sad, he spoke slowly as if trying to say something without making it sound harsh. Even though Norman knew Andrew like the back of his hand, he didn't foresee what came next. "Did-- did you think I left because of you?" 

  Norman nodded as he muttered a strangled "Yes...". 

  "Oh, Norman... I'm sorry, but I don't have feelings for you. I didn't leave because of our kiss---" 

  Norman's eyes filled with tears. Of course Andrew had left because he was confused about their feelings and their friendship, how could he deny it now? 

  "No, you do have feelings for me. You left because you were confused, because being away from your wife was making you forget about her and what you felt for her!" He was angry now. Why was Andrew trying to mess with him when both knew the truth? 

  Haley entered the room with a worried look on her face. She sat down next to Norman and patted his back before saying: "Okay sweetheart, I think it's time to say goodbye..." 

  Norman didn't even look at her before shaking his head and moving a few inches away from her, in case she would try to pry the phone out of his hand. 

  "Come on, Norman, you're getting upset. Say goodbye and give me the phone, please" She scooter closer to him and held her hand out for him to hand the mobile phone over. 

  "Norman, you're the one who's confused. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I never had feelings for you. I don't know why I let you kiss me that time, but what I do know is that you made your own story up"Andrew said, hurried to make himself clear before Norman was forced to hang up. 

  Norman started crying, clinging to the phone as Haley tried to pry it out of his hands before the conversation made him even more upset. 

  "Y-you're lying, I know you left because you love me..." He sobbed in one last attempt to make Andrew confess before he had to hand the phone over. 

  "You know that's not true. You wish I did, but I don't. Now hang up, your mom wants you to do that" Andrew spoke, ready to hang up first if he had to. It hurt, but it was the best for everyone. 

  "Shut up, shut up!" Norman yelled, crying even louder. "Shut up, I hate you!" He hung up and turned to his mommy to hug her and bury his head into her chest. 

  Haley held the boy and rocked him, her hands rubbing soothing circles on his back as he sobbed. She was so mad at Andrew in that moment; how could the other man make her baby cry? She didn't know what the guy had said exactly but she could imagine it wasn't something nice, nothing that could've been taken from a love novel. Well, it could've been taken from a love novel Norman wasn't the main character of, maybe. 

   "Shh, it's gonna be okay" Haley continued rubbing her baby's back, wishing he would stop sobbing so hard she felt her heart break each time he let a sob out. "Mama's got you, sweetness" She placed a kiss on his hair and started laying Norman down on her lap and into her arms to cradle him and rock him gently. 

   "I-- I'm sorry" He opened his red-rimmed eyes to look at his mommy as he apologized. 

  Haley shook her head and gently wiped Norman's tears away with her hands, staring at his reddened face and feeling the need to do something to make everything better for her little boy. 

  "There's nothing to be sorry about" She smiled at him. 

  "Y-y--you're not angry?" He was surprised, to say the least. Why wasn't she mad at him when he had been disobedient and hadn't handed the phone over when he had been told to do so? Why didn't she think he had been bad when he told Andrew that he hated him? 

  Haley shook her head, still smiling to her baby. "No pumpkin, I'm not angry. Why would I be, though?" She continued caressing him lovingly, enjoying the feeling of having him wrapped between her arms. 

  "I--I was bad..." He stared down at his own hands. "I didn't give you the phone a-and I said cruel things to Andrew" It really hurt to pronounce the man's name. It hurt to think about him, for crying out loud! 

  Haley shook her head. "No baby, I understand why you did those things and I don't think you were bad at all. You're obedient most of the time, it's okay if I let it slide this time" She smiled ay him but that didn't make him feel any better. He kind of wanted her to say that he deserved to be punished because that's what he thought should happen. He wanted to get punsihed for having feelings for Andrew, for not being able to put up with life like an actual man, for being who he was, just a sensitive guy who needed cuddles and who was in love with a man who could never love him back. 

  "M-mommy, I--" He bit his bottom lip, ashamed of the words that would soon escape his mouth. "I need you to spank me." He felt Haley's hand grab his chin and make him look up. He blushed and looked at his hands, his head still up but his eyes wandering down his own fingers. 

   Haley let out a sigh. "Why? Why would you nerd that?" She asked, intrigued by how desperate her baby sounded when he told her what he felt he needed. 

   "A'cause 'm bad, mama. Not supposed to love Andy, h-he's my friend" He looked her in the eye and for the first time since she had brought him home she could see through those beautiful blue eyes and tell how much desperation and helplessness there was in them. 

  "Well, I don't think you deserve any punishment--" Haley started but Norman cut her off. 

  "I do! Please, mama" He clung to her, staring into her eyes pleadingly. 

  Haley couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Was Norman actually begging to get spanked? Norman, the one who a few hours earlier would've run away to hide anywhere from her so she wouldn't find and spank him? She even remembered the first time she had spanked Norman for misbehaving. It had been so heartbreaking to hear the baby's sobs as she landed all those swats on his bare bottom... She didn't even want to think about it because knowing that she had made her little one cry could make her cry as well. 

   "Norman, tell me exactly what you think you've done to deserve that kind of punishment" 

  Norman really didn't want to tell her that he felt guilty for loving a married, presumably straight man. He knew that his mommy was aware of his feelings for his probably former friend but he thought that maybe she didn't consider his feelings wrong, which actually were for him. He thought that maybe the woman would hate him for trying to make Andrew confess to loving him secretly. But he knew that, even though Haley sometimes was that kind of mom who didn't let things slide, she was a good woman and she understood him even better than his biological mother. 

  "Mommy, I'm not a good person" He started, pulling away from her. She looked at him expectantly until he was ready to continue. "I-- I love Andrew. You know that, I know... But maybe you don't know how bad that is. He's married! He's married an' 'm not supposed to love a married man" He started crying again, not being able to hold his tears and sobs back once he said the word 'married'.Why did Andrew have to be married? "'M not even supposed to love a man" He murmured between broken sobs. 

  Haley sighed and rubbed the right side of her forehead with her fingers. "Honey, there's nothing wrong with being gay." She paused for a second. "Damn, I'm a lesbian and I'm totally okay with that. And yes, some people may not like it but it's their problem, not mine or yours. I understand it's hard, but... We can't change just to please others, pumpkin" She shook her head as she shrugged. 

   Norman buried his face into her shoulder and cried harder. 

  "I know, I know" She nodded, rubbing the baby's back. "It's gonna be okay, you'll see" 

 Haley held Norman until he cried himself to sleep, and then she carried him to her bed. She laid down beside him and hugged his waist before placing a kiss to his shoulder. 

  "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you" She whispered into his ear. 

 


	4. Bubba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate to cheer her baby up, Haley calls someone she knows is perfect for the job.

   It took Haley a day and a half to realize there was nothing  _she_ could do to help her little one. Norman was going through something huge and it broke her heart to watch the fun side of his personality turn darker and darker until the spark of hope in his eyes gave out after many hours of tears trying to wash it away. He was too tired to get up from bed, his stomach felt too funny to let him eat, his throat was too scratchy from his wails to let him speak, and his eyes were too red and irritated to even open most of the day. But it was his heart what ached the most. 

  The day after Norman's talk with Andrew, Haley tried to cheer him up by letting him do things she had said were off limits since their first day as a family, such as watching TVs shows that were meant for adults, like South Park, Norman's favorite, drinking a beer or eating a whole bar of his favorite chocolate. But Norman didn't even feel tempted to do those things, it felt like he didn't like those things anymore. That's when Haley started thinking that maybe Norman wasn't just upset about Andrew's words, and that it could be very serious. 

  She started worrying even more when the boy refused to eat or drink anything, claiming that he might throw up if he did. Even though she wanted to make him eat, she didn't. Haley understood that Norman needed space and she allowed him to have it. She didn't give up, though, because she wouldn't let her baby damage his own health, and it cost her a lot of tantrums and frustration. 

   That morning, two days after the phone call, Haley woke up to an upsetting sound. She got up from bed and ran toward the bathroom, where the sound had come from. When she got there, she saw Norman kneeling next to the toilet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. She knelt behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. 

  "Are you okay?" She asked and he shrugged. "What happened, did you try to eat something--?" 

  He cut her off by shaking his head. "I's jus' cryin'" He mumbled and then he stood up. Haley stayed kneeling on the cold floor for a few seconds, a hurt expression on her face. Knowing that her baby had cried until he threw up was upsetting, but knowing that he had probably cried for hours until he got sick and threw up saliva and bile because his stomach had been empty for many, many hours was heartbreaking. 

   Haley stood up and went to look for Norman. When she found him, about to climb into his crib, she scooped him up the best she could and with all the strength she could gather, and carried him to the living room as he flailed his arms and kicked his legs. She sat down on the couch and sat him on her lap, ignoring his high-pitched whines and his sudden moves. 

  "Norman, you need to calm down" She said, trying to soothe him by caressing his arms and rubbing his back, but it didn't work. 

  "Let goooooo!" He cried, his arms flailing with desperation. 

  "I'm not gonna let you go until we talk" She said firmly, trying to control her frustration and her worries. The boy kept flailing his arms and sometimes he tugged on her arms, which now were around his waist, to be able to hop down and go to his room to be alone. "Norman, stop" She spoke, this time a little more sternly. 

  "No! Let me gooo!" He flailed his arms once more, accidentally hitting Haley in the face. Out of surprise, she let go of his waist to cover her reddening cheek, which gave Norman enough time to take off and lock himself up in his bedroom. He was sure Haley would hate him now. She might hit him back, or even kick him out of her house! 

  Not wasting any more time, Haley stood up, went to the boy's bedroom and knocked on the door. She heard him whine as soon as he heard the knock. She tried to open the door but noticed it had been locked from the inside. Norman had never locked it before. "He must be really scared", she thought. 

  "Baby, open the door" Haley tried to sound as calm as possible, knowing that he must have thought that she was mad at him and that he wouldn't open up if she sounded upset. 

  "Mama, sorry" He cried, climbing out of his crib and hiding inside of his closet, where he barely had space to stand and breathe. 

   Haley bit her bottom lip. "I know you're sorry, sweetheart, I'm not mad" She waited a little bit but nothing happened. "Come on, Normie" She said sweetly. "I know it was an accident. Mama knows you're a good boy and you'd never hit on purpose" 

  Norman bit his bottom lip, not sure if he should believe that. After a few minutes, he decided he needed whatever punishment he might receive if what his mommy had said wasn't true, and opened the door. As soon as he did, he felt Haley's arms hug him tightly to her chest. His eyes filled with tears, he didn't feel he deserved to be forgiven for hitting or for everything else. 

   "It's okay, it's okay" She soothed. 

........ 

   Later that day, Haley made lunch for herself and also for Norman, even though she knew his food would end up in the freezer because he wouldn't touch it. But she knew she had to show him that she wouldn't give up on him, that she was his mommy and she would do her job the best she could. Maybe after a couple of days Norman would see that the woman still cared about him, not like other people he knew, and he would come around. 

  She set the table and sat Norman in his high chair. When she sat down in front of him, she could see his face and noticed that he was getting worse and there was no way he could improve on his own. He wouldn't be give his space anymore, otherwise he would continue sinking until there was nowhere he could sink deeper into. She knew she had to intervene. 

  "Why aren't you eating, pumpkin? Is your tummy still upset?" She asked, cutting up a piece of chicken. Norman nodded, using his fork to play with the rice on his plate. "Normie, I made the simplest meal there is, I don't think that could make you sick. Why don't you eat a few bites?" 

   "Not hungry" Norman murmured, pushing his plate forward so it slid to the table and left his high chair tray empty, except for his sippy cup. 

   Haley bit her bottom lip as she watched Norman play with his fingers as he waited to lunchtime to be over. She knew it was time for her to do something. 

  "Norman, I want you to eat your food, even if it's just a few bites" Haley told him sternly to show him she wasn't playing around. 

  The baby shook his head. "Not. Hungry" He spoke sternly as well. 

  Haley sighed deeply, knowing she would be hearing her boy's sobs and wails in a few seconds. 

  "If you don't eat that, I'm gonna have to feed you. Is that what you want, young man?" Haley stood up and dragged her chair next to Norman's. The boy stared at her blankly. What she didn't know was that he was scared, deep down. "Alright, suit yourself" She grabbed Norman's plate, stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork and held it as it made its way towards the boy's mouth. "Open up" 

  Unconsciously, the boy opened his mouth and let Haley feed him the piece of chicken, which he chewed and swallowed. She could get him to eat a few more bites and a little bit of rice before he refused to continue. 

  "Tummy hurts, ma. Really hurts" He said, almost pleadingly, as he clutched his aching belly and stared into his mommy's eyes. 

  At first she didn't believe it, but when she saw the desperation in his eyes her face softened and her lips curved into a small smile. "Okay, sweetheart. Do you wanna cuddle on the couch and watch a movie?" She asked, carding her fingers through his hair. He shrugged, not in the mood for movies yet not wanting to disappoint the woman. "Okay, let's go. I'll pick everything up later" Haley scooped Norman up and carried him to the living room, where he sat him down on the couch. "What do you want to watch?" 

  "You pick" He shrugged, laying down on the comfortable furniture. 

   Haley nodded and picked Norman's favorite, Nemo. When it started playing, Haley could see her boy had noticed which movie she had picked and a tiny smile appeared on his lips for just a second. She rubbed his arm and guided his head to her lap for him to rest as they cuddled. 

  After a few minutes, she could hear Norman's steady breathing and could feel he was completely still. She placed a kiss on his temple and smiled when his eyelids twitched for a second. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. 

 ..... 

   Norman's nap had given her time to think of what could be her smart next move, which she had decided would consist of calling someone she knew they could trust with this problem and who she was sure would be able to help them. Once she hung up, satisfied with her plans for the following day, she went to the living room to check on Norman, who was awake. 

  "You fell asleep as soon as the movie started, sweetheart" She smiled. "How are you feeling?" 

  Norman shrugged, not ready to say that he still felt a little bit sick. He felt so lost, so desperate to get rid of that weight that was holding his usual self down. But what could he do? It had never happened to him before, not that bad. He didn't understand why this time it hurt more, deeper, if he at least had someone to help him through his problems, not like before. 

 Haley hummed. "Are you still dry?" She asked, remembering that she hadn't changed his diaper that day, not even once. The baby nodded. "Well, you did take a few sips of juice earlier so it's just a matter of time. Remember, don't hold it. If you have to go, just do it and then you call me and I'll change you, just like always, alright?" Norman nodded. "Same if you have to go number two,  okay?" 

  Norman nodded once more. He knew he did have to go, he just  _couldn't._ His tummy sometimes hurt really bad because he just couldn't go, but when he tried and pushed nothing happened. He was a little bit worried he would get really sick, but he did feel terrible when he ate. Maybe he was already sick, he thought and that scared him. 

   "Well, we have a few hours until it's time to have dinner so... I was thinking maybe we could go do something fun, what do you think?" The woman asked, hoping Norman would tell her what he wanted to do. But Norman just shrugged and stared down at his hands, not knowing what to say. He did think about doing things, but he just couldn't get himself to feel excited about whatever came to his mind. Haley sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling a little bit defeated. "Okay, we can just sit here and do nothing, what do you think?" 

  Norman turned his head to look at her, now a little bit worried about his mommy. Was she getting sad, too? Suddenly, he started feeling a bit guilty. Was his mama losing hope? Would she just give up on him to be sad as well? He wanted to simply say that he really wanted to play and to be actually excited about it, but he just couldn't. That made him feel he was a bad boy for not even trying to help Haley. 

  Norman nodded. "An' watch a movie?" He asked with a tiny smile. 

  Haley's face lit up as she smiled and looked at him. "Of course! What do you wanna watch? It's your turn to pick, honey" 

 .....

  After having dinner, after giving Norman his bath and after picking stray things up to make the house look nicer, Haley went to sleep with only one thing in mind: she couldn't wait for the following day to come. She wanted to close her eyes and just open them when the doorbell rang and her helper was ready to do his job. But hours felt like days and she just couldn't close her eyes and sleep. She was too worried about her little boy to even think about something else for just a second. 

  After tossing and turning for a while, Haley fell asleep without even noticing, after staring blankly at the ceiling and considering counting sheep. Fortunately, nothing interrupted her much needed sleep and when she woke up she felt full of energy. When she looked at the clock on the wall, she was surprised to see she had overslept and had only half and hour to get everything ready before the man she had been waiting for showed up. 

   Norman had been sleeping soundly when Haley woke him up, which upset him as he was told he wouldn't get his usual ten more minutes and his extra time to play with his stuffies or watch cartoons until he was finally ready to get up. 

   "Come on, sweetheart, we have a lot of things to do today" She said as she helped him out of the crib and carried him to the changing table, where she laid him down. 

   "We never have things to do" Norman frowned, intrigued about what those things would be. Haley never made him hurry up to do things, so this had to be important. 

   Haley sighed as she changed Norman's wet diaper. "I know honey, but someone's coming over today and we need to get ready" She thought maybe it would be okay to tell Norman because it would still be a surprise if he didn't know who was visiting them. 

  The baby shook his head. "B-but you said no one would come over, ma" He was confused: Haley had promised him that she wouldn't let people go to her house until he said he was ready to see anyone else than her, and since her family lived in other country he didn't have to worry about them seeing him. So... Who would come over? 

  "I know, but this is a very special occasion and this person wants to see you" She started picking the clothes the baby would wear as she spoke. "And I think you do miss them" She winked at him. 

  Norman frowned and started thinking who that person could be. He didn't think any of his old friends would want to see him due to his new lifestyle, maybe they would be grossed out if they saw him now. It hurt to even think about it. The only person who Norman had thought still liked him was Andrew, but after finding out that the man didn't love him and that he had just been confused, he understood that the only person who still liked him enough to stay around was Haley. 

   "...And it's done" Haley said with a smile, looking at the now fully dressed Norman. He hadn't even realized that she had put him in some jeans and a blue T-shirt. "You look so adorable! I guessed you wouldn't want to wear your usual onesies since we're having a guest today, so I put you in some big boy clothes. What do you think?" 

  Norman looked at himself and nodded, smiling slightly. "I like it" 

  Haley smiled and grabbed a brush. "I'm glad you do, sweetheart" She started brushing the boy's hair gently, getting rid of all the knots with patience as she always did. She was glad Norman didn't complain, not even once. Even though she was always gentle and careful, the boy's thin hair always got knotty after sleeping or even after playing. "Okay, I think we're ready. I'll go change into some decent clothes and then we'll go downstairs to have breakfast" She kissed the boy's cheek and helped him down the changing table before rushing out of the room and into hers. 

  Haley was about to finish putting on her shoes when the doorbell rang and Norman rushed into her bedroom. 

  "Honey, you know you have to knock on the door before you come in. We were lucky this time I had already dressed up, I wouldn't want you to see anything you shouldn't. It would be embarrassing" She told him and he nodded, looking at her apologetically. "It's okay, now let's go open the door" She finished putting on her shoes and then she took the boy's hand and led him downstairs. "Are you excited?" Haley had to admit she was really excited. 

 Norman shrugged. Haley opened the door, already smiling widely. Before Norman could react to who he was seeing, the other man spoke: 

  "Bubba!" 

 

 

  

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... Now we know who's gonna bring little Norman back to life <3   
>  What did you think of this chapter? It's one of the longest ones I've ever written :'3 It would be great if you could tell me what you want to happen next or if you think I'm making any mistakes :'3   
>  Thank you for reading! <3 Love you all!


	5. Treats for my sweet bubba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff takes care of Norman for a whole day to cheer him up. Haley watches and learns.  
>  Part 1/2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I forgot to say that in this story Jeff and Norman don't have kids, otherwise it'd be difficult not to make it weird v: If you have any suggestions about that subject, you can say it :3 Thank you :3

  To Jeff, Norman was more than just a friend or a best friend. It had always been hard to explain because no one who saw them together would think of them as something else than a gay couple  but truth's that Jeff had always cared for Norman as if the younger man was the most valuable part of himself. Norman was like his heart or his brain, he couldn't live an actual life without him because he was essential. It wasn't romantic love, it wasn't fraternal love; it was just love, true and deep love. To Jeff, Norman was a part of his own soul. 

  Now that he had the chance to actually take care of Norman, Jeff couldn't help feeling that now it was his chance to also prove how much the other man meant to him in every sense. Even if now his role would be as a part of Norman's family and not as his friend, Jeff was willing to do it because Norman's discomfort was also his own discomfort. 

  Jeff hugged Norman as if his life depended on it, breathing in his scent and realizing how much it had changed. He could smell baby powder, lavender soap for clothes and coconut. Maybe the last part was Haley's perfume, because he could tell baby and mama never spent more than two minutes apart from each other. What made him really happy was that he could almost feel the lack of cigarette smell, which meant that Norman wasn't smoking anymore. 

   "I missed you so much, Bubba" The taller man said, hugging his friend even tighter. 

  "Missed you too" Norman said, clearly at the verge of tears. He felt Jeff's strong hands on his back as he rubbed it soothingly, and he couldn't help feeling safe in the older man's arms, so safe he forgot about Andrew for a second. It wasn't like he didn't feel safe in Haley's arms, she made him feel like anything he felt and desired was okay, like she could make anything he wanted happen. But being with Jeffrey felt like nothing mattered as long as the man held him like that. 

  "You look so cute" Jeffrey said, pulling away from the boy and smiling at his reddening face. The man could see how shyly Norman's eyes shone, how deep their blue color looked, he couldn't have described a more innocent picture even if he had tried. Norman smiled shyly and looked down at his feet. 

  "You wanna see my room? I have a lot of toys an' I also have dinosaur bed sheets" The baby spoke, almost muttering, and waited for Jeffrey to say something. He was really nervous and couldn't know exactly when his brain had given his mouth permission to let out those words before he gave it a second thought. 

  Jeff stared at the boy with a smile on his face and then he nodded. "Of course I wanna see it" And it was true, Jeff really wanted to see what had his friend so excited. Whatever made Norman happy made him happy as well, he thought. 

  He was brought back out of his mind when he felt a strong hand take his and tug on him to lead him upstairs. 

  "Norman, be gentle!" Haley reprimanded him, worried that maybe her baby had caused the man any discomfort. "I don't want you to be careless with our guests" She said an Jeffrey laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

  "I'm not  _that_ old, you know" He said and Norman shook his head. 

  "He's not, mommy" He looked at his friend lovingly, trying to ignore the grey and white hairs the man had on his dark beard. He didn't want to think about Jeff getting old, it scared him to think that someday he would lose his friend. 

  Haley smiled at him. "I didn't say that he was, I just said that you needed to treat him gently because sometimes you get too excited and pull on people until it hurts" She said. "Now let's go" She nodded to the staircase and didn't have time to finish the sentence when she saw that Norman was tugging on Jeff's hand again, but it seemed like this time he was being more careful. 

  When they got to the baby's nursery, Jeffrey smiled at the thought of his now little friend playing there with his toys and then sleeping in his crib, covered by dinosaur bed sheets and a blue blanket that had stars on it. He was so glad that Norman now had the chance to be himself and had someone who took care of him the way he needed. He also felt a little jealous, though, because he wanted to take care of Norman and he wasn't sure if that would ever be possible. 

  "Like it?" Norman asked his friend excitedly, looking at him with pure joy and love, expecting the man to say something. 

  Jeff nodded, admiring how happy Norman looked now. "Of course I like it, bubba" 

  Haley smiled, feeling incredibly happy now that her little boy wasn't sad anymore. "Okay, I'll let you two play for a while" She said and then she went downstairs to start making  an elaborate lunch. 

  Norman ran to fetch a penguin plushy and then showed it to Jeff. "And who is that?" The man asked, taking the cute black and white plush animal and inspecting it with a smile on his face. 

  Norman blushed and shrugged. "He doesn't have a name" 

  Jeff feigned indignation and put a hand on his chest, "How come he doesn't have a name?" 

  Norman giggled, shrugging again. "I just don't know what to name him"

   Jeff smiled and said: "I just remembered that I brought you something" He said and went to look for it downstairs, coming back to the boy's bedroom with a big, blue paper bag that obviously had something big inside. "Open it" 

  While Norman opened the bag, Jeff couldn't help feeling nervous because he didn't know if the boy would like his present. But when Norman took the toy out of the bag, he gasped and hugged the thing, squishing it against his own body. 

  "I love it, I love it! Thank you!" Norman hugged the other man as well, and kissed his cheek noisily. Once he pulled away, the baby looked at the dog plush and thought of a name for it and also one for the penguin, and soon he came up with one. But he had to ask Jeff if he liked it as well before he could just name his new friend. "Can his name be Lasagna?" 

  Jeff laughed and nodded. "Yes, of course his name can be Lasagna" He laughed again. "And what about the penguin?" 

  "Mmm... What about Friday?" Norman giggled, blushing. 

  Jeff laughed again. "Friday and Lasagna it is, then" He loved that Norman was acting like his usual self again, funny and adorable, so he knew he was doing things right. "Now bubba, what do you wanna do?" Jeff asked, hoping Norman would say he wanted to play with his toys or maybe color some pictures. He really wanted to share those kind of things with the baby. 

  Norman looked around and thought of several things he wanted to do until he came up with the perfect activity. He had always loved how deep Jeff's voice was, mostly when he whispered things into his ear, so he thought that it would be a beautiful experience to have the man read him something. But the more he thought about it, the more difficult it became to say it out loud. What if the man rejected his idea? What if he thought it was too childish or too boring? He wouldn't be able to go through that without crying his heart out. 

  "Uh... Books?" He said in his tiniest voice, almost curling up into a ball, afraid of what Jeffrey would say to that. What if the man yelled? He didn't like when people yelled. 

  Jeff smiled lovingly and nodded, "Of course. What do you want us to read?" 

  Norman thought about it for a few seconds before answering. "I wanna read the Snowman story" He said, blushing. 

  "Okay bubba, I'll go get it and then we'll cuddle and read it" As soon as Jeff got the book in his hands, he sat on the floor and Norman sat next to him. Jeffrey could feel how much the boy wanted to sit on his lap and he felt sorry when it didn't happen. He wanted Norman to feel more confident, to know that it was okay if he wanted to be held or to be told a story. "Are you ready?"

   Norman nodded, eager to start reading. He sat very still, looking at the book in Jeff's hands and wishing the man would start reading. 

   "Alright, Bubba" Jeff smiled at the boy and opened the book. "It was a snowy day when Jimmy, the snowboy, decided to play hide and seek with his snow friends at the park..." He read. 

    They had read half of the story when Haley entered the room and heard what they were reading. It made her smile in a sad way because she had planned to be the one who read the story for her baby, but she just put on her best happy face and opened the door, seeing that her baby was resting his head on Jeffrey's shoulder as the man read. 

   "Hey guys" She sat down next to them. Norman turned his head to smile at her, happy to see that she was going to read with them. "Normie, sweetness, it's been a while since your last diaper change. Are you wet?" She asked and Norman's eyes went wide, how could she ask him that in front of Jeff? Was she trying to embarrass him? 

   The baby's face went red. "Mommy!" He furrowed his brow. 

   Jeff chuckled. "Hey, don't talk to her like that, she's just asking to make sure you don't get a rash" The older man didn't want to be an asshole and intervene in the baby and his mommy's conversation, but he knew that Norman needed him to intervene. 

    "Jeff's right, Normie, I don't want you to get a rash, so let's go change you" She tried to take his hand to help him stand up but the boy shook his head and his his arms behind his back. "Norman, making me wait to change you is gonna leave  _you_ in pain, not me or Jeff" She said, making Norman blush even more and look down at his feet. 

   "Come on Bubba, I'm sure you're already uncomfortable" Jeff tried to convince him but the boy pouted and shook his head again. "Oh, why not?" He asked, trully intrigued. He thought that maybe the baby was embarrassed because he knew Jeff might see him naked, but they both knew it wouldn't be the first time since Norman had been naked on the third episode of the seventh season, so it might not be the problem. 

   Norman's eyes filled with tears: why couldn't they stop asking questions and pushing him? He was obviously embarrassed and they were supposed to know it because they were the grown-ups. 

   "Tell us, Bubba" Jeff insisted. 

   "I-- it's so embarrassing!" He cried, turning toward Jeff and hugging the man, hiding his face into his chest and sobbing hard into it. Jeff put an arm around him and rubbed his back. 

   "Hey, it's okay" The older man said, rubbing invissible circles on the baby's back. 

   Haley joined the hug and put her arms around Jeff and her little boy. "Shh, pumpkin" She placed a kiss on his hair, "it's okay, we understand. How can we make this the least embarrassing possible?" 

   Norman didn't know what to say, but he sure as hell didn't want Jeff to be in the room while Haley changed him. He said that in a whisper. 

   "Jus' us, Ma", Ha asked with big, pleading eyes, and Haley couldn't help smiling. 

   She looked at Jeff apologetically and said: "Can you wait outside? Sorry, but he's--" 

   Jeff smiled and nodded, standing up. "Of course, you call me when you're done" He started walking, but then he stopped to say: "Behave, Bubba" And then he left the room. 

  Haley smiled at her little boy. "Are you having fun with your friend?" 

   Norman blushed and nodded. "Uh-huh, he's fun" He stood up and let Haley walk him to the changing table, where he laid him down. She undressed him and untaped the sides of the diaper quickly. Norman looked away, blushing. 

   "Are you feeling better, now that he's here?" She knew that Jeff's visit wasn't going to be magical and wasn't going go solve the problem Norman was having, but maybe it would help him with his self-esteem.

  Norman nodded. "Uh-huh, I feel better" He smiled. Now that he thought about it  the sinking feeling in his chest that had been bothering him since he had talked to Andrew was gone. Now he felt that not everything from his adult life was lost, that maybe he still had friends after all. Sure, it wasn't like Jeff's fraternal love towards him could ever fill the emptiness that Andrew's rejection left in him, but still; he still had a friend he could trust. 

   When Haley finished dressing Norman back up, they let Jeff into the nursery and Norman made grabby hands to the older man. Understanding it quickly, Jeff gladly took Norman into his arms and scooped him up. The boy clung to him and buried his face into the crook of his neck, closing his eyes and breathing the man's scent. He felt Jeff's hand run through his hair, which made him regress even further into his permanent little state. 

   "I didn't think you'd ever ask, Bubba" Jeffrey hugged Norman tighter to himself and looked at Haley, who was staring at them with a loving smile on her face. He smiled when he heard that Norman was humming. He hummed as well. 

   "Pat his butt" Haley moved her lips but didn't make a noise, so Jeff saw her and so Norman couldn't hear so he didn't get embarrassed. 

   Jeff really thought about it, even though he had put his hands on Norman's butt before, and decided to give it a shot. He slowly moved his hand until it was almost touching the boy's diaper, and then he let it rest on the curve of his backside. He gave Norman a few seconds to say something against the action before he gave him a gentle pat. At first, Norman tensed and that kept Jeff from doing it again, but then he relaxed and hummed, pleased. Jeff patted him a few more times. 

   "Such a good boy, Bubba" Jeff spoke softly. He couldn't believe he was actually patting Norman's butt and calling him a good boy as they cuddled, it was something he had never imagined he'd ever do. 

   Norman didn't think he had ever been that relaxed in his life, nor had he felt so secure and little before. Jeff's scent and strong arms made him feel wonderfully peaceful, so much he didn't move at all for several minutes. He just closed his eyes and breathed evenly until he fell asleep. 

    When Jeffrey noticed the little snores that escaped Norman's mouth, he felt something inside his chest grow. He looked at the boy's relaxed face and saw that his mouth was slightly open and his cheeks were pressed against his chest, Jeff felt complete, like he didn't need anything else in life except for that image to be permanent, except for Norman. He realized that he needed Norman, more than he could've ever thought. 

   "He fell asleep?" Haley asked, both surprised and sad. She could see how much Norma loved that man, and that scared her because she would never compare to Jeff. Without letting those thoughts show on her pretty face, she lovingly combed her fingers through the boy's hair. Jeff turned to smile at her. 

    "He's so little" The man said, gently patting Norman's butt. 

    Haley nodded, unable to deny it anymore: "You love him" She was happy for Norman because he had the ability to make people fall in love with him forever, but her stare managed to turn grim. 

   Jeff nodded, being honest with himself for the first time. "I do love him, more than anything" He watched Norman's hand move across his chest for a few inches before stopping to grab a fistful of his T-shirt. Jeff smiled and caressed Norman's forearm gently, enjoying the feeling of the smooth skin against his calloused hand. He could feel Haley's stare on him, he could feel the jealousy, but he didn't say anything. When Norman stirred in his sleep, he rubbed his back and whisperer to him: "Shhh, Bubba, shhh" He continued rubbing his back, even though Norman was still and breating little snores out. "Sweet Bubba, shh" 

 

  

 

   

  

 


	6. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff and Norman spend time together and make some progress. Norman's upset because Jeff has to go back home.

   It was lunchtime and Haley had just finished preparing the sauce for the spaghetti, that were supposed to boil for a few more minutes before they were ready to be eaten. She was nervous about how everything would turn out, thinking whether Norman would be willing to eat or not, now that Jeff was there with them to help. She hoped Jeff's presence would make Norman's nervousness and angst go away for a while so he could finally eat something without feeling nauseous. 

   Norman was still asleep on Jeff's chest, and the older man couldn't be happier. He was patting the boy's butt lovingly as he placed kisses on his ear and on his hair. "I love you, Bubba" For him, Norman was so cute it hurt his heart to watch him sleep. When Haley had called him, he had agreed to visit them even though he doubted that could be a good idea. Maybe his presence would distract Norman from being a baby, or maybe it would upset him... He was scared, but losing Norman to angst and depression scared him even more. He was glad he had agreed, now he could see that it was just what the boy needed. 

   "We should wake him, it's time to eat" Said Haley, tiptoeing into the room and kneeling in front of the couch Jeffrey was sitting on as he cuddled Norman. She gently moved some hair off his face and whispered: "Hey Buddy, it's time to eat" 

  Norman stirred, with his eyes closed shut and his hand still clutching Jeff's T-shirt. Jeff caressed his forearm. "Come on, Bubba" He talked a little bit louder than her, hoping it would make Norman's eyes open. 

   "Come on, Normie" She placed a kiss on his forehead, making him stir and whine. Both Haley and Jeff smiled and let out an 'awww'.  

   "That's my buddy" Jeff smiled at him once he saw Norman's blue eyes open a little bit. Norman smiled back and sighed, burying his face into Jeff's chest. "No, Bubba, don't fall asleep again" He bounced Norman on his lap, hoping the boy would stay awake. 

   "He just hasn't been sleeping well, that's all" Haley explained and Jeff nodded, understanding the difficult situation both baby and mommy had been going through. Norman blinked and looked up at Jeff, cheeks in a dark pink tone. 

   "What's up, Bubba?" Jeff asked, not knowing why Norman was looking at him like that. Haley smiled and said: 

   "That's his 'I just peed' face" She explained, making Norman whine in annoyance. She wasn't supposed to be telling that kind of stuff to anyone, least of all Jeff. He glared at her. 

   She helped him him stand up. "Okay, let's change you before you get all cranky" She took his hand, led him upstairs and laid him down on the changing table he had in his nursery. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you, I didn't do it on purpose" She pursed her lips together. 

   "Now Jeff's gonna laugh 'cause I peed" He pouted, cheeks still pink and heated. Haley caressed his left cheek. 

   "You know he would never laugh at you" She smiled at him. "He loves you so much" She looked at him lovingly. "We are just trying to help you, buddy" She undid his pants and pulled them down to his ankles, and then she untaped the sides of the diaper. "Honey, I'm worried that you haven't gone number two in a few days. Doesn't your tummy hurt?" 

   Norman blushed deeply, looked down and nodded. "Does hurt" He bit his bottom lip. "But I can't--" 

   Haley nodded and caressed his thigh. "It's okay, mommy will find a way to help you" She put a fresh diaper under his bottom and got rid of the other one, and then started wiping him, always gently and lovingly. "Maybe we should try to eat more vegetables.." She finished wiping him and sprinkled some powder on his privates. Then, she taped the sides of the diaper and put the boy's pants back on. "Ready" She helped him down the changing table and patted his padded bottom. "Ready to have some lunch. Are you hungry?"

   Norman thought about it for a second, waiting to feel if his tummy was empty or not, but nothing happened. He just shrugged. "I dunno" 

   Haley sighed. "Are you gonna try and eat something? Just a little bit?" She hoped he would say 'yes', she was definitely defeated. If Norman continued skipping meals, she would have to take him to the hospital. 

  Norman shrugged again. "Can try" 

  Haley smiled just a little bit. "Fair enough" 

 When they got downstairs, Haley went to the kitchen to get everything to set the table. There, she found Jeff. 

  He looked at her and smiled. "How is he?" 

  "He's okay, said that he's gonna try to eat something" They both smiled, and then started preparing everything so that everyone could have lunch. 

  Jeff went to the dining room to set the table while Haley filled three plates with spaghetti, carefully adding sauce to the pasta. 

  When he got to the dining room, Jeff found Norman sitting at the table and staring at nothing. He sat down next to him and hugged his waist. 

  "What's the matter, Bubba?" Jeff asked, wishing that worried look on the other man would disappear. 

  Norman shrugged, not knowing how to explain what he was feeling. But Jeff knew there was something wrong with him, so he continues asking. 

  "Are you feeling unwell?" He asked, and Norman shook his head. Jeff narrowed his eyes and added: "Having a tummy ache because you're nervous also counts as feeling unwell" Norman turned his head to look at him, and Jeff knew he had guessed what the problem was about. "Baby, what's making you nervous?" 

   Norman bit his bottom lip. "I-- I told mommy that I'm gonna eat, but..." He looked down. 

  "You don't know if you'll be able to, right?" Jeff tried to make things easier for his friend by finishing his sentence. 

   "Uh-huh" Norman sighed, not knowing what to do. 

  Jeff smiled at him and said: "Your mommy won't get mad if you don't eat, she just wants what's best for you, that's all. I want what's best for you, too." He smiled at Norman. "All you have to do is take a few bites, slowly, every day until you're ready to eat the way you used to" 

 Haley entered the room carrying two glass plates filled with spaghetti and sauce and placed them on the table, and then she fetched Norman's plastic plate, which was half-full. She placed it next to hers and patted her lap. 

  "Alright, come sit with me" She told the boy, smiling, and he obeyed, sitting on her lap. He was sure he was squashing her, but she always said she liked when he sat on her lap like that so there was no way he was going to stop doing it. 

  Jeff stared at them, wishing he could hold his friend like Haley did. The only thing he was sure he wanted was that: to feed and hold Norman, and to see him as happy and all snuggly as Haley did. 

  Haley noticed Jeff's stare so she smiled at him and said: "Do you want to try and feed him?" Norman looked up from the spaghetti, his eyes wide open, and he hoped Jeff would say 'yes'. He wanted the other man to hold him, too, just like his mommy did. 

  Jeff was about to decline, but when he saw Norman's pleading face he decided to accept that he did want to help feeding the boy. So he held his arms out for Norman to sit on his lap and hug him, which was quickly done by the boy. Jeff hugged Norman to his chest and then grabbed the plate and the plastic fork so he could give Norman the first bite. 

  "Okay, little one" Jeff started, taking the fork to Norman's mouth and waiting for him to open it. Eventually, Norman did and ate the spaghetti without any trouble. He ate a few more bites before turning his head as Jeff tried to give him more food. 

  "Mm" He tried to get out of Jeff's hold and stand up, but the other man held him tighter and just put the fork down on the plate. 

  "It's okay, no need to get upset" Jefd placed a kiss on Norman's hair. 

 "Are you feeling okay?" Haley asked, standing up and walking towards Norman to put her hands on his knees and look up at him. He nodded. 

 "Not hungry anymore" He spoke, sounding a bit angry. 

  "That's okay, no one's gonna ask you to eat until you're sick" Haley said, picking up a napkin and cleaning his face up. Norman whined, a bit annoyed, but let her get the sauce off his face. "What do you wanna do now? Do you wanna take a nap?" 

  Norman shook his head; no, all he wanted to do was play with Jeff and cuddle with him, too. "No, play" He said, looking at Jeff and begging for the other man to pick him up and play with him right away. 

  Jeff smiled at his friend fondly and nodded. "Okay, we can play for a bit" He undid the straps of Norman's highchair and was about to help him down when he saw the look on his face. "What is it?" 

  Norman shook his head, he didn't want to admit to wanting the older man's affection. 

  Haley smiled and looked at Jeff. "I think he wants to be carried"

  Jeff bit his bottom lip for a second, moved.  He smiled at the younger man. "Is that right, you want to be carried?" 

  Norman blushed deeply and nodded, causing Jeff to quickly pick him up and bounce him gently as the boy buried his face in the crook of his neck. Jeff patted Norman's bottom and started walking towards the living room, where he thought would be a good idea to play. 

  Jeff and Norman played with the boy's cars, sitting on the floor, for a while. Then, Haley joined them and sat Norman on her lap when she saw he was getting sleepy. Norman was about to fall asleep completely when he heard Jeff got up and put on his jacket. He opened his eyes and looked at him, making Jeff feel sorry for kind of trying to sneak out of the house as he slept. 

  "Where you goin'?" Norman asked, a bit afraid of hearing what he suspected Jeff would say. 

  "I have to go, Bubba" Jeff said, feeling actually sad for having to leave so soon. But truth was that he had some work to get done and it was getting late. 

  Norman's heart broke when he heard Jeff's words, he had dedinitely forgotten that the man would have to leave eventually. 

  "No, stay" Norman clung to Jeff's legs, feeling as his eyes filled with tears. 

  Jeff's heart broke as well, he hated making Norman upset. "Bubba, I can't stay any longer today--" He was interrupted by Norman's sobs. "Oh no, sweetheart, I promise I'll come back soon" 

  Norman shook his head violently, clinging harder to the other man's legs and almost making him fall. "Noo, stay today!" 

  Haley sighed, hating to see her baby so upset, and tried to gently pry Norman's arms off of Jeff's legs. "Normie, Jeff has to go. Please--" 

  Norman cried harder. "Noo!" 

  Haley tried harder. "Norman, let Jeff go" She knew she had to step before Norman got hysterical. 

  Jeff felt his eyes filling with tears. "Bubba, I'll come see you someday this week, okay? But now I have to go" He tried to move, but Norman wouldn't let him go. "I really need to go home and work--" 

  Norman looked up at Jeff, hot tears running down his reddened cheeks. "L-leaving me" He said between hiccups. 

  Jeff closed his eyes for a minute and felt hot tears run down his cheeks as well. "No bubba, I'm not leaving you, I promise" He extended his arms towards Norman, signaling that he wanted to pick him up, and the boy let himself be picked up. Jeff hugged Norman tightly to his chest and ran one hand up and down his back. "It's okay, I'm not leaving. I'd never leave you, not even if you asked me" 

  Norman looked him in the eye. "Really?" 

  Jeff nodded. "Of course, baby, I love you" He kissed Norman's cheek and gently wiped his tears away with his thumbs. 

  Norman blushed. "I love you too" He buried his face into Jeff's neck. 

  "Do you trust me when I say that I'm not leaving you and that I'll come back this week, now?" He asked. 

 

  It took a while, but eventually Norman calmed down. Jeff decided it was time to go home, then. 

  "Alright, bubba" He said, kissing his cheek and then his forehead. "Behave for your mama, and eat also" 

  Norman nodded and kissed Jeff's cheek. "I will" 

  Haley smiled. "Text me when you get home" He nodded. "Drive safe!" She kissed his cheek and then Jeff walked towards his car. 

  Norman watched Jeff leave as he gently squeezed Haley's hand. Haley rubbed his back. "I'll talk to him to see if he can come back on Friday, okay? Don't worry" 

  "'Kay" He sniffled. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking sooo long, I was so busy and out of inspiration that I couldn't write a word.   
>  I hope you've enjoyed it <3


End file.
